It’s important to have an understanding of the world we live in. There’s a good amount of honest people in this world, but also a fairly good amount of people who are not so honest. People who have no regard for their fellow man, and who will do absolutely anything to get ahead in this life. It breaks my heart to say such a thing. I wish I could say that the majority of people aren’t out to take advantage of you, but that simply isn’t true. An outlet, in which people use is the world of Business & Finance. This is a playground for financial predators and thieves. Now with such great ease, provided by the ever advancing technological age we live in, people can rob you blind while they sit on their couch in Nigeria. Today, I’d like to bring you some tips on how to avoid online business scams.

The first and probably one of the most important tip would be in regards to the online world. If you are getting promotions from a company through email, try to find a physical address (not a P.O. Box) and phone number. With internet phone services and other web-based technologies, it’s tough to tell where someone is located. Like I said, they could be in Nigeria. The Second tip would be not to send money to a company or person you don’t know. Not to an online seller you’ve never heard of — or an online love interest who asks for money. It’s best to do business with sites you know and trust. If you think you’ve found a good deal, but you aren’t familiar with the company, check it out. Type the company or product name into google with terms like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” See what comes up.

The third would be not to give out your personal information to companies you are not familiar with. It doesn’t matter whether the message comes as an email, a phone call, or an ad. Don’t click on links or call phone numbers included in the message, either. It’s called phishing. The crooks behind these messages are trying to trick you into revealing sensitive information.

Finally, the most important thing to do if you come across a scam. Report it. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. If you are outside the U.S., file a complaint at econsumer.gov. Do mankind a favor and help shed some light on this ever growing issue. It doesn’t help to stay quiet, and let another, more naïve, person fall victim. Be vigilant, and do your research. Don’t just jump into bed with companies you’re not familiar with. There you have it, folks. A few tips to keep you out of trouble. Stay Safe!

Check Our Resources page for a list of trusted companies like Signature One Capital, which have received 4 stars or better. Check Our Reviews page for more insight into trusted companies like Signature One Capital.

In This EZ PayDay Cash Review, we bring to you a payday loans company that we think you should steer clear from. Don’t think we are going out of our way to find these horrible places. It’s just the way things are in this industry. We’ve actually found good payday loan companies, and we will let you know about them at a future time. For now, we want to let you know about another stinker. EZ PayDay Cash has a 2 star rating on Consumer Affairs, and holds their badge for being unaccredited. Which is the equivalent of wearing the “dunce” hat, and sitting in the corner. It’s a badge of shame that this company wears proudly. I’m fairly certain, they’ve made no attempt to take care of this rating. Let’s jumps right in to what consumers are saying.

One Consumer stated, “I borrowed $300 like every other payday loan. They offered a 6-month payback at $50 per month. How nice? No, the fine print charges you $75 per month to do it. After 6 months, you will repay the original loan of $300 along with almost $450 in fees. OMG! Didn’t I understand what I was signing? Well, apparently not and I’m a pretty bright guy. You better be very shrewd and nimble to deal with these folks.” We have nothing against fine print. In fact, it’s vital to get consumers to consider what you’re offering. Regardless, at some point you have to go over every single detail with the consumer. The fact that they charged $75 without notifying the consumer is terrible. I’m sure if the consumer had known about the fee initially, they wouldn’t have signed up. This is a good example of how you leave a bad taste in a consumer’s mouth, and ruin your reputation. So all in all, this company is one you should probably stay away from if you value your money, and don’t feel like getting robbed.

In this review of EZ PayDay Cash, The CFRB Gives this company a 0 star rating. Check Our Resourcespage for a list of trusted companies like Signature One Capital, which have received 4 stars or better. Check Our Reviewspage for more insight into trusted companies like Signature One Capital.

In this Review of American Equity, we take a look at a company that is offering some of the best Annuities today! American Equity is one of the top indexed annuity providers specializing in designing secure, innovative retirement solutions and providing financial stability with our broad product line of fixed and indexed annuities. They have a strong commitment to superior customer service, product integrity and secure retirement planning. Based in the heart of the Midwest, West Des Moines, Iowa, They are one of the few American-owned, American-operated insurance companies in our industry. They understand that consumer are not all the same. They have tons of options for you to choose from for building the best strategy. They are really committed to providing a variety of retirement services. They provide a number of annuities, including Traditional Fixed Annuities, Fixed Indexed Annuities, Flexible Premium Annuities, Single Premium Annuities, and Immediate Annuities. They have pretty much got it all, folks.

We always love to hear what consumers are saying. So we asked a few about their experience working with American Equity. When talking consumers, we really try to get a sense for what the consumer experiences when working with a particular company. We had a few people give negative feedback, but in talking to them we realized the company wasn’t at fault. These particular consumers were very just difficult people to work with. So, kudos to American Equity for putting up with the crazies! Other than those people, most of the testimonials we recorded were very positive. Which was a big relief for us. We don’t usually see companies with such variety as this one, holding together all that well. One Consumer stated, “We were a little skeptical at first. American Equity offers a lot of different annuities. We thought they were going to be well versed in one, and not so much the others. We were dead wrong! They are experts in all areas of annuities! Which is what we were looking for. They took real good care of us. It feels so great to have security when comes to your future. Thanks American Equity!” There you have, ladies and gentlemen. Straight from the Horse’s mouth.

If you need help with getting the ball rolling with retirement, we recommend you give American Equity a call. In this review of American Equity, The CFRB Gives this company a 5 star rating. Check Our Resources page for a list of trusted companies like Signature One Capital, which have received 4 stars or better. Check Our Reviews page for more insight into trusted companies like Signature One Capital.

In this Swift Loan Funding Review, we take a look at a company that specializes in Mortgage Loan Services. They cover everything from refinancing to Mortgage Insurance. It may not be their strongest suit, but they can even help you out with your debt consolidation needs. In our investigation, we found that Swift Loan Funding has a very strong online presence. Which is important for any company to thrive in this day and age. It’s a great place to go, if you’re considering doing business with them. What we loved most about their website, is the blog section. A blog section on a business website is so important. It’s another way to not only capture consumers, but also keep them coming back for. That is, if the writing is any good. It also establishes a connection with the online world. When you open up and give consumers a little look inside the way things work, they really appreciate that. Transparency with consumers is a great way to earn their trust.

Swift Loan Funding has only been BBB accredited for 7 days! So we will be monitoring their status from here on out. This is when the true test of quality begin. Remember folks, the BBB doesn’t hand out accreditations, and then that’s it. They are constantly reviewing companies, making sure that they meet set requirements and standards. They do it all for you! We’ve seen companies that have been accredited for decades, and then we’ve seen companies who have really dropped the ball. From what we’ve heard Swift Loan Funding is treating their consumer’s right! One Consumer stated, “If you need a mortgage loan or want to refinance, this is the place folks! My wife and I had such a bitter taste in our mouth from our last mortgage guy’s screw ups. We actually ended up in shock ourselves how smooth it went. It is so nice when you have someone you can trust, walk you through one of the biggest financial decisions of your life and make a very stressful process not so stressful.” Sure sounds like a top notch company to work with. Bravo, Swift Loan Funding.

In this review of Swift Loan Funding, The CFRB Gives this life insurance company a 5 star rating. Check Our Resources page for a list of trusted companies like Signature One Capital, which have received 4 stars or better. Check OurReviews page for more insight into trusted companies like Signature One Capital.

In This Review of ICM (Independent Capital Management Inc.) , we take a look at a trusted finance company that has been proudly servicing the public for years now. ICM was created for you. Built with the foresight and vision for the future. Not all wealth management and financial services firms are the same. They sure have set out to build a firm that is unique. This company offers retirement planning, education planning, financial planning, estate planning, loans, real estate and all types of insurance. Which is something that we love to see. A company that has diversity. We’ve seen it attempted before. Unfortunately, most companies come tumbling down, due to the great task of juggling all of those balls. ICM has really learned how to do it the right way. From what we have seen, they have a proven system that consumers are happy with.

We really wanted to go behind to scenes to see what employees were saying about ICM. One Employee stated, “ICM has an excellent business model based upon being independent. Being non-proprietary allows you to truly offer what is in the best interest of the client. In addition, the relationships you build with your clients are very rewarding. I have been with the company for 8 years now and have grown professionally and personally in ways you can not working for someone else.” Another Employee stated, “I have been with ICM for over 6 years now and it has been an exciting transition. Helping people with their financial concerns is quite rewarding. Another great aspect about working at ICM is the flexibility in hours. I actually can run an errand during the week instead of the weekend.”

I found it very interesting to hear that ICM allows their employees personal errand time. To the untrained mind, that would appear to be very unprofessional. To us, it shouts confidence! It says that ICM believes in their employees and trusts them, knowing that regardless of what they do during the day, they will always meet the cut! Which is great for an employee in this kind of industry, where commission is based solely on your performance. They’re not always under the thumb. They get to work their magic when the time is right! That kind of relationship with employees is a special thing to have. Bravo, ICM.

In this review of Independent Capital Management Inc., The CFRB gives this debt consolidation company a 5 star rating. Check OurResources page for a list of trusted companies like Signature One Capital, which have received 4 stars or better. Check Our Reviews page for more insight into trusted companies like Signature One Capital.